Should You Allow a Home Inspection When Selling a House?

This is a question that I hear all the time when people approach me for advice. My answer is always the same: "When you feel competent to inspect someone else's home professionally then you'll know you're ready to inspect your own home in a professional manner. Until then, hire a professional home inspector."

One of the first things I learned the hard way when I was a new real estate investor was how to buy and how to sell my home in order to make a profit. Discovering hidden problems that cost me a lot of money to make repairs is not the way to make a profit, that's why I hire a home inspector most of the time. I like knowing what I'm getting into when I buy a home. On the other hand, when I sell a home I am not responsible for hiring a home inspector.

Each buyer makes his or her own decision about having a home inspection or not. Over the years I've known about a few potential problems with properties I've sold, and those problems were noted on the mandatory Seller's Disclosure Statement for any and all prospective buyers to see. If someone chooses to make an offer on my home for sale and that person does not choose to use a property inspector to check out the condition of the home and investigate any possible problems, it is not my responsibility to require a property inspection.

It is my obligation to cooperate with an inspection of course, but that's all. The choice as to whether there's a property inspection prior to closing or not is the buyer's choice, not the seller's choice. I often choose to sell my homes "as is" which means that the buyer is willing to deal with any potential problems, such as people who make their living remodeling homes. They may actually be looking for a good deal on a property they can spend some time and money improving in order to resell it for a profit later, or to keep as a rental property.

So, as a seller you will have to make a decision as to what type of buyer you want to attract. If you choose to sell your house "as is" to real estate investors or others who are interested in buying homes as their business, then you may not need to allow a home inspection. If you are selling to homeowners who intend to live in the home, especially if they will be borrowing money to buy the home, you will most likely be asked to allow an inspection, risking the loss of a potential buyer if you refuse.


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